Algeria’s coach has explained why OL playmaker Houssem Aouar, who recently opted for the Fennecs, is not on his list to face Niger in the next CAN qualifiers.
Algerian supporters will have to wait a while for Houssem Aouar’s debut with the Fennecs. If the attacking midfielder opted to defend the colors of the double African champions after honoring a selection with France (against Ukraine in 2020), the Lyonnais were not retained by Djamel Belmadi for Algeria’s next two games, at 23 and March 27, against Niger as part of the CAN play-offs. The Algerian coach did not escape questions about Houssem Aouar during a press conference on Sunday. He replied bluntly.
“The talent is still there, but there are things he needs to fix”
“Houssem has a burning desire to come and play. It’s good. He changed his sporting nationality. It’s the essential step to be able to play. Houssem has a special story. He touched the French team A. He explained , maybe he was a bit emotional. Maybe he couldn’t say exactly what he wanted to say. He hit a world-class team, that means something. He is a very talented player with great qualities. Over the past two years, for various reasons , he has seen his level drop. He remains a young player (24 years old). The talent is still there, but there are things he needs to figure out.”
“It is better to come into full possession of your resources”
For Djamel Belmadi, Aouar has “far above average qualities, especially technical and game intelligence.” The coach of the 2019 African champion is convinced that Gone can become “a very important link” in Algeria. “He is able to make the last pass, the penultimate pass, to destabilize an organization, to play under pressure, to play in tight spaces. Things that we may not have in certain positions. He will do this can do all of them, and do it consistently well, the day he comes back physically.”
It has not escaped Belmadi’s attention that the Lyonnais still lacks rhythm between injuries and end games: “He is so eager to do well. It is better to take full advantage of his resources, his athletic abilities to be able to perform with us. The approach is good, very respectable. What matters now is the physical aspect of the player. ” Houssem Aouar knows what to expect.